Enjoying the Big ‘O’..

Dh has been glued to the TV ever since the Champions League started. Then came the EPL followed by the IPL. Just when I thought its over for good, the Tour de France started and I spent hours watching some crazy bikers cycling all over France. Except that, I could not make out much of its locations, after-all they only show the roads! Watching sports of different kinds for almost 3 months continuously amidst the company of men in the house, my mind has lost its feminine touch. Life pretty much has been revolving around men in and out of TV..The only solace right now is the Bade Ache Lagte hai that I make it a point not to miss.

So when I first got initiated to the Big O or the Olympics I didn’t think it would impress me much. (Oh yes, this is the first time I am watching one )..I guess I was wrong! Starting from the inaugural ceremony, everything about the Olympics was spectacular. Although there were some mixed reviews about the opening ceremony, I personally loved it. It was quirky, it was funny and it was touching…

All through the ceremony the only thing that I kept thinking was how could someone direct something sooo big and that too live? Million cameras, people, the music, the props – How could have they have synchronized all of these so well? Danny Boyle – Tussi great ho! The depiction of ancient Britain and then the Industrial revolution with what I thought as the Lord of the Rings backdrop was spectacular. The show was about class, about grandeur. So it didn’t surprise me when Paul McCartney sang those songs or when I saw the Queen accompanied by Daniel Craig parachuting from the helicopter. It did look a little funny though..My personal favorite was the amazing copper cauldron or petal as they called it which each child mascot carried. When the flame was lit, the bowls lifted into the air to make one giant flame. Absolutely fab!

Not just the opening ceremony, each and every sport they show are entertaining. I loved watching the archery and weight-lifting which by the way I saw for the first time. All through, I kept waiting for the Indian contestant to show up and felt proud when she finally did! The underwater coverage of the swimming events was marvelous. The men did look like fishes ;).

When I see events of such a large scale attempted and organized so well in London Olympics, I wonder why could India not produce something like that in the CWG? After all, the Government did give Kalmadi millions of Rupees, didn’t it? However, the famished officials gorged all of that! All want to say is, if only the officials attempted in delivering what they were paid for! If only they put their creative brains to work! In a county like India, which is so full of creative and intelligent brains, if only they thought of doing something so nice and planned! Well, they didn’t and that is the fact!

All in all it was a weekend well spent !

For a first timer, the slow start followed by the build up of excitement and finally the ecstasy when they lit the Olympic light, the overall experience of the Big ‘O’ was remarkable!